Skip to main content

Currently Skimming:

4 Anthropogenic Sources of Atmospheric Substances
Pages 35-56

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 35...
... Manufactured products are atomized and vaporized; particulate matter and dust are released from construction, mining, and industrial activities; gases and vapors form at high temperatures during the combustion of fossil fuels, ore smelting, and cement manufacturing. In this report we concentrate on the combustion of fossil fuels because this is the source of a major part of the anthropogenic substances in the atmosphere (see, e.g., Bertine and Goldberg 1971, Keeling and Bacastow 1977, Robinson 1977, Galloway and Whelpdale 1980, Shinn and Lynn 1979~.
From page 36...
... Industrial development has been accelerated by the transition from a wood-fueled economy to a coal-fueled and then to an oil- and gas-fueled one; each successive energy source has provided increased energy efficiency with consequent positive feedback increasing total consumption. There has also been a tendency to centralize the location of fossil fuel burning usually near large urban areas.
From page 38...
... At the same time, increased use of air-conditioning has meant increased demand for electricity during the summer, a season that may favor more rapid chemical transformation in the atmosphere of the power plant emissions because of the higher ambient temperatures. ATMOSPHERIC EMISSIONS FROM FOSSIL FUEL BURNING In the absence of direct measurements of emissions, an assessment of atmospheric emissions of specific substances is dependent on quantitative inventories of the total mass (e.g., of coal used)
From page 39...
... ski : /~::~~ /' 8 / 8 :' ~ ._.
From page 40...
... Since 1960, however, the trend in total coal use has been determined by electric utility use.
From page 41...
... With the exception of fuels used in transportation, about 65 percent of the national anthropogenic sulfur oxide emissions came from coal combustion and about 13 percent from oil combustion. Some 85 percent of the sulfur dioxide emitted in the United States is released east of the Rocky Mountains, with the highest emission density in the vicinity of the Ohio River Valley (Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana)
From page 42...
... Whelpdale, "An Atmospheric Sulfur Budget for Eastern North America". Copyright (~)
From page 43...
... From 1940 to 1960 the reduction of SOX emissions from industrial fuel consumption was balanced by increase of SOX emissions from electric utilities. Since 1960 the sharp increase in SOX emissions was essentially due to electric utilities.
From page 44...
... ~ 1 985 1 990 Post 75 Co. 1 Ut~llt~es FIGURE 4.6 Net emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides for the United States by source for 1975 and projections for 1990.
From page 46...
... 46 Cal z Al a O CD ~ C.)
From page 47...
... in the United States is fossil fuel combustion, and a decline in NOX emissions projected for automobiles will more than be offset by increased emissions from stationary sources (Figure 4.6~. By 1985 stationary sources are expected to account for 70 percent of anthropogenic NOX emissions (US EPA 1980~.
From page 48...
... 1950 1975 Utility combustion Other combustion Non-ferrous smelters Other industrial processes Transportation Total 1.1 6.1 3.7 neg.
From page 49...
... 49 TABLE 4.3 Range in Emanates of Anthropogenic Mercury Emissions to the Global Atmosphere (X 10 g/year) Emission Source Mercury Flux Estimatesa Coal combustion Oil and gas combustion Metals refining Chlor-aLkali production Cement manufacturing Total emissions 11.5-137.4 0.017-63.8 0.6-22.9 7.3-20.0 2.6-30.0 1.0-1.3 aThe range in global mercury emission fluxes were obtained from a review of Bertine and Goldberg (1971)
From page 50...
... The data presented for trace metal fluxes from coal and oil combustion differ somewhat from those of Bertine and Goldberg given in Table 4.4, but in any case, anthropogenic emissions to the atmosphere exceed natural emissions for these 5 metals. Similar fluxes of some trace metals to the atmosphere appear to result from cement production, which equaled 5.7 x 1014 grams/year in 1972 (Goldberg 1976)
From page 51...
... . Element Coal Oil Coal Oil Total River Flow Sediments Li 65 9 110 12 Be 3 0.0004 0.41 0.00006 0 41 5.6 B 75 0.002 10.5 0.0003 10.5 360 Na 2,000 2 280 0.33~ 280 230,000 57,000 Mg 2,000 0.1 280 0.02 280 148,000 42,000 Al 10,000 0.5 1,400 0.08 1,400 14,000 140,000 p 500 70 720 S 20,000 3,400 2,800 550 3,400 140,000 Cl 1,000 140 280,000 K 1,000 140 83,000 48,000 Ca 10,000 5 1,400 0.82 1,400 540,000 70,000 Sc 5 0.001 0.7 0.0002 0.7 0.14 10 Ti 500 0.1 70 0.02 70 108 9,000 V 25 50 3.5 8.2 12 32 280 Cr 10 0.3 1.4 0.05 1.5 36 200 Mn 50 0.1 7 0.02 7 250 2,000 Fe 10,000 2.5 1,400 0.41 1,400 24,000 100,000 Co 5 0.2 0.7 0.03 0.7 7.2 8 Ni 15 10 2.1 1.6 3.7 11 160 Cu 15 0.14 2.1 0.023 2.1 250 80 Zn 50 0.25 7 0.04 7 720 80 Ga 7 0.01 1 0.002 1 3 30 Ge 5 0.001 0.7 0.0002 0.7 12 As 5 0.01 0.7 0.002 0.7 72 Se 3 0.17 0.42 0.03 0.45 7.2 Rb 100 14 36 60(, Sr 500 0.1 70 0.02 70 1,800 600 Y 10 0.001 1.4 0.0002 1.4 25 60 Mo 5 10 0.7 1.6 2.3 36 28 Ag 0.5 0.0001 0.07 0.00002 0.07 11 0.03 Cd 0.01 0.002 0.5 Sn 2 0.01 0.28 0.002 0.28 11 Ba 500 0.1 70 0.02 70 360 500 La 10 0.005 1.4 0.0008 1.4 7.2 40 Ce 11.5 0.01 1.6 0.002 1.6 2.2 90 Pr 2.2 0.31 1.1 11 Nd 4.7 0.65 7.2 50 Sm 1.6 0.22 1.1 13 Eu 0.7 0.1 0.25 2.1 Gd 1.6 0.22 1.4 13 Tb 0.3 0.042 0.29 Ho 0.3 0.042 0.36 2.3 Er 0.6 0.001 0.085 0.0002 0.085 1.8 5.0 Tm 0.1 0.014 0.32 0.4 Yb 0.5 0.07 1.8 5.3 Lu 0.07 0.01 0.29 1.5 Re 0.05 0.007 0.001 Hg 0.012 10 0.0017 1.6 1.6 2.5 1.0 Pb 25 0.3 3.5 0.05 3.6 110 21 Bi 5.5 0.75 0.6 U 1.0 0.001 0.14 0.001 0.14 11 8 SOURCE: Bertine and Goldberg (1971)
From page 52...
... 52 To .s , Ct Cal o Cal A: _, Ha Cal Ct z Ct .o o o ¢ 3 ¢ to x Cal o U: 3 Ct Cal Ct Ed s ., z v C)
From page 54...
... These emissions originate primarily from fossil fuel burning. Although global anthropogenic emissions of gaseous organics are approximately one order of magnitude lower than natural emissions, emissions are mostly confined to the industrialized regions of the Northern Hemisphere and have significant effect on air quality in these regions.
From page 55...
... 55 ca C~ o~ £ ~ V cr ~ 'ca ~ ~ U
From page 56...
... Both fossil fuel combustion and cement production are introducing some metals to the atmosphere at rates comparable to river fluxes to the oceans, showing that such activities have made society an important geological agent. The particulate organic carbon releases that come from coal, petroleum, noncommercial fuel, and agricultural burning account for 80 percent of the fluxes.


This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More information on Chapter Skim is available.